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Obituary: Dean R. Shumway

January 24, 1934 ~ July 30, 2021

Dean Ronald Shumway, 87, of the Town of Liberty Grove (Sister Bay), died early Friday morning, July 30, 2021, while at Green Bay Health Services. At the time of his passing, he had been married to his beautiful wife, Bernie, for 56 years.

Dean was born in Pleasant Prairie on Jan. 24, 1934. Bernie and Dean were married Nov. 18, 1964, and Bernie became the full-time mother of Karen, David and Daniel, who had been born to Dean and Ruth Evelyn (Martinson) Shumway of Kenosha, WI. Ruth preceded Dean in death in 1963.

Dean enjoyed a long career in law enforcement, most notably with the FBI, and private investigation. His investigative skills were keen and highly sought after throughout his life.  As a Special Agent in the FBI from 1963-1987, he worked many notable cases among which were African American voter registration drives throughout Mississippi during the “Mississippi Burning” years, the poisoned Chicago Tylenol murders and lead coordination of the James Earl Ray St. Louis investigation of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dean will be remembered for his deep love and good stewardship of nature, especially in Door County. He and Bernie have committed their land on Old Stage Road in Sister Bay to the Door County Land Trust for the purpose of conserving that which they loved so much together.

Dean loved his family. His marriage to Bernie was blessed with five wonderful children: John of Denver, NC, Stephen (Kim) of Ellison Bay, Rebecca of Sturgeon Bay, Andrew (Stephanie) of Kewaunee, and Matthew of Chicago, IL. Dean is survived by these five children as well as Karen of Dallas, TX and David (Mary) of Charlotte, NC. and his son, Daniel.  He is also survived by his brother Lynn of Lebanon, PA.

Dean was also a very proud, bragging grandfather of Jacqueline (Adam) Marciulionius, Michael, and Luke Shumway [children of Daniel]; Claudia Shumway-Torres [daughter of Karen]; Ruth Shumway [daughter of David]; Kaytlin and Kierra Shumways, [daughters of John]; Josephine [daughter of Rebecca Kerwin]. Jacqueline and her husband, Adam, further bestowed (Dean) with great-grandboys, Jackson and Logan, both of whom brought much sunshine to his life.

He was also preceded in death by his father, Raymond Shumway; mother, Helen (Jules) Homes; and other relatives including six siblings.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 at Stella Maris Parish-Sister Bay site with Fr. Thomas Farrell as celebrant. Dean will be laid to rest in the church cemetery, St. Rosalia Cemetery, with military honors by the United States Army.

There will be no scheduled visitation at the church on Friday prior to the Mass, but those attending are welcome to greet the Shumway family, upon arriving to church.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Sister Bay, Wisconsin is assisting the Shumway family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Dean may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.caspersonfuneralhome.com, where his complete life story may be read.